The MSc in Health Systems is a program participating in the collaborative program in environmental sustainability.

The program builds on the expertise of professors and researchers in health systems research from the Telfer School of Management and from the Faculties of Health Sciences, Medicine, Social Sciences, Engineering and the Institute of Population Health. The program operates under the general regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS). It is offered in both English and French, primarily on a full-time basis.

The professors included in the list below are members of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This means that they are authorized to supervise or co-supervise theses. A complete list of the faculty and staff members associated with the program can be found at http://www.telfer.uottawa.ca

ANDREEV, Pavel, Assistant Professor

ANDREW, Caroline P., Distinguished University Professor
Urban development; women and politics; municipal politics; urban politic; intergovernmental relations in Canada; social policies (municipal); women (access to public services); management of diversity; voluntary sector

ANGUS, Douglas, Full Professor
Health economics and policy; strategic management; health care management

BARRETTE, Jacques, Full Professor
HRM practice and organization performance; work adaptation and performance; management strategies; organizational learning; organizational involvement, human resources management; performance management; integration into the workplace of people with communication disorders

BEN AMOR, Sarah, Assistant Professor

BENYOUCEF, Morad
Software engineering; Internet technologies; electronic negotiations; online trust; e-procurement

BOURGEAULT, Ivy, Cross-appointment
Health professions/human resources; health policy; medical sociology; gender and health; maternity/reproductive health care; comparative health systems; migration; complementary and alternative medicine;, qualitative health research methods

BRAND, Kevin
Environmental health risk assessment; uncertainty analysis; policy formulation; frameworks for interpreting animal bioassay evidence; lifetime risk measurement

BRZUSTOWSKI, Thomas, Full Professor
To provide innovators with a better understanding of the business characteristics, strategies and environments that drive successful commercialization

CAPPELLI, Mario, Clinical Professor
Child clinical; pediatric/health psychology

CARO, Denis, Full Professor
Health care systems evaluation and auditing; canadian systems; IT auditing and security evaluation; international peace systems; futurism; and professional management ethics, emergency management systems; e-health systems evaluation and auditing; strategic emergency preparedness; strategic interorganzational systems; public governance systems evaluation and auditing

CHAMBERS, Larry, Cross-appointment
Community cardiovascular health awareness; interdisciplinary collaboration in service delivery; health surveillance; support of caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias

CHREIM, Samia, Associate Professor
Institutional and organizational change; organizational identity and discourse; top and middle management dynamics; mergers and acquisitions

CORBO, Jacomo, Assistant Professor
Research focuses on measuring, modeling, and managing how information flows in large-scale social networks impact consumer demand, information worker productivity, organizational performance, and firm competitiveness, how firms deal with the growing torrent of data potentially available to them to capture, communicate, aggregate, store, and analyze, and what the economic returns are to these data.

COYLE, Douglas, Cross-appointment
Health economics; economic evaluation; health technology assessment; decision analysis, prioritization of research funding; health policy

JAANA, Mirou, Assistant Professor
Health services research and IT in healthcare

LANE, Daniel, Full Professor
Decision analysis and support; management science

LAPIERRE, Laurent, Cross-appointment
Occupational stress; work-life balance; leader-follower work relationships

MATWIN, Stanislaw, Full Professor
Artificial intelligence; knowledge-based systems; machine learning; software reuse

MICHALOWSKI, Wojtek, Full Professor
Clinical support systems; decision analysis and support; medical decision making; multiple criteria decision making

MOHER, David, Cross-appointment
Influence of bias in clinical trials and systematic reviews; reporting of clinical trials and systematic reviews

ORSER, Barbara, Associate Professor
Enterprise growth; including entrepreneurial decision making; internationalization of SMEs; small business policy; and finance

ORSINI, Michael, Associate Professor
Health policy; interest groups; social movements; public policy; VIH/SIDA; hepatitis C; narrative analysis, Aboriginal politics

PERSAUD, Ajax, Associate Professor
New product management; technology and innovation; Research and development management

RUHI, Umar, Assistant Professor
Research interests lie at the intersection of Information Systems and Knowledge Management; Empirical research projects are predicated upon an interdisciplinary perspective grounded within the milieu of social informatics.

SIDNEY, Jeffrey, Adjunct Professor
Management science; combinatorial optimization; production scheduling; algorithms

VIKTOR, Herna, Associate Professor
Data Mining; data warehousing; data and information quality

WELLS, Philip, Cross-appointment
Clinical epidemiology; risks associated with thrombotic disorders

YAYA, Sanni, Associate Professor
Health economics; international health; health systems reforms; healthcare management; health policy; challenges for health equity and accessibility

Language Requirements

Applicants must be able to understand, speak and write either English or French fluently and they must indicate in their application the language in which they intend to take their courses. Those whose mother tongue is neither English nor French are required, at the time of application, to provide evidence of proficiency in one of these languages. Applicants whose mother tongue is not English and who intend to study in English are required to provide one of the following as evidence of proficiency in English (the test scores cannot be more than two years old as of September 1 of the year of potential entry into the program):

• A score of at least 250 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), with a score of at least 5 on the Test of Written English (TWE) and a score of at least 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE). The TOEFL is administered by Educational Testing Service, Box 899, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, 08540; see also www.web1.toefl.org
• A score of at least 7 in at least three of the four International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking) and at least 6 in the fourth. The IELTS is administered by the British Council: www.ielts.org
• A score of at least 14 on the CANTEST, administered by the University of Ottawa, with no individual test score below 4.0, along with a score of 4.5 on the oral component of the test.
• Proof of completion within the last five years, of a previous degree program in an English language university.
• Proof of recent prolonged residence and exercise of a profession in an English speaking country (normally at least four years of the last six years).

Candidates applying to study in French must submit one of the following to confirm their French proficiency:

• A score of at least 14 on the TESTCAN, administered by the University of Ottawa, with no individual test score below 4.0, along with a score of 4.5 on the oral component of the test.
• Proof of completion within the last five years, of a previous degree program in a French language university.
• Proof of recent prolonged residence and exercise of a profession in a French-speaking country (normally at least four years of the last six years).

Considering the significant amount of health systems research that is published in English, all applicants need the ability to read and understand written English; proof of this ability may be required.

Language of Instruction

All core courses and some of the electives are offered in both French and English. Some of the seminars in the Health Systems Research Seminar will be delivered in English and some in French so that the requirement may be completed fully in either language. There are sufficient elective courses in both languages for students to complete the elective requirements in either French or English. As per University of Ottawa policy, students can complete major assignments, examinations and their thesis in either English or French. This also applies to the oral presentations given by the students in the Health Systems Research Seminar. Opportunities exist for students to use French or English as a primary language of communication as they conduct their research.

• Compulsory courses (9 credits)
MHS5301 RESEARCH DESIGN METHODOLOGIES AND THE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH (3cr.)

MHS6380 SYSTEMS ANALYSIS, MODELING, AND DECISION SUPPORT IN HEALTH (3cr.)

MHS6990 SÉMINAIRES SUR LA RECHERCHE EN SYSTÈMES DE SANTÉ / HEALTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH SEMINARS (1.5cr.)
Students are required to attend the regular seminars throughout their program of study; students are expected to present their proposal and preliminary research results normally in the winter (session II) or Spring (session III) session of the Health Systems Research Seminars.

At least 1.5 credits of MHA courses; the complete list of courses is available in the MHA calendar.

• Electives (6 credits)
Students in consultation with their thesis supervisor will select elective courses in areas related to their research topics. All courses offered in the MHA program are open to the MSc students. Registration to courses offered in the MBA, the MSc in Management and other graduate programs will normally require permission from the respective Program Directors.

The following list of electives, regrouped under possible themes of study, is not exhaustive, and is provided as a guideline for students and their advisors. Each year a list of elective courses approved and offered for students in the program will be posted on the program’s website. Graduate courses other than those posted on the program website may be selected with the approval of the Thesis Supervisor and Program Director. It is the students’ responsibility to verify that they have the prerequisites for the elective courses they wish to take and to obtain the permission of the academic unit if required. Students are advised that enrolment in out of faculty courses may be limited at the discretion of the faculty offering the course. Unless otherwise indicated, all courses are worth 3 credits.

1. Health Services and Policy
MHA6203 PROGRAM EVALUATION FOR HEALTH CARE MANAGERS (1.5cr.)
MHA6212 GOVERNANCE AND ETHICAL MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS (1.5cr.)
MHA6216 RISK MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH CARE (1.5cr.)
MHA6250 HEALTH CARE ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE (1.5cr.)
MHA6351 HEALTH ECONOMICS (3cr.)
MHA6360 HEALTH CARE IN CANADA - OVERVIEW (3cr.)
ADM6209 GOVERNANCE (1.5cr.)
ADM6609 GOUVERNANCE (1.5cr.)
NSG6160 POLICY, POLITICAL ACTION AND CHANGE IN HEALTH CARE (3cr.)
NSG6560 POLITIQUE, ACTION POLITIQUE ET CHANGEMENT EN SOINS DE SANTÉ (3cr.)
HSR6120 KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER FOR HEALTH SERVICES AND POLICY RESEARCH (3cr.)
EPI7181 EPIDEMIOLOGY FOR HEALTH POLICY (3cr.)

2. Public Health and Health Promotion
MHA6301 POPULATION HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY (3cr.)
MBA5320 STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT (3cr.)
MBA5720 GESTION STRATÉGIQUE DE MARKETING (3cr.)
EPI5181 POPULATION HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT I (3cr.)
EPI5210 PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (3cr.)
EPI5271 HEALTH PROMOTION (3cr.)

3. Health Care Organizations
MHA6230 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH CARE (1.5cr.)
MHA6361 LEADING STRATEGY AND CHANGE IN HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS (3cr.)
MHA6250 HEALTH CARE ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE (1.5cr.)
MBA5237 CHANGE MANAGEMENT (1.5cr.)
MBA5637 GESTION DU CHANGEMENT (1.5cr.)
MBA5330 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR AND HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (3cr.)
MBA5730 COMPORTEMENTS ORGANISATIONNELS ET GESTION DES RESSOURCES HUMAINES (3cr.)
ADM6210 MODELS OF PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND CIVIC GOVERNANCE (1.5cr.)
ADM6610 MODÈLES DE GOUVERNANCE DANS LES SECTEURS PUBLIC, PRIVÉ ET CIVIQUE (1.5cr.)
MBA6266 PRINCIPLES OF NEGOTIATION FOR THE GLOBAL MANAGER (1.5cr.)
MBA6666 PRINCIPES DE NÉGOTIATION POUR LES GESTIONNAIRES D'ENTREPRISES INTERNATIONALES (1.5cr.)

4. Health Systems Analysis and Optimization
MHA6271 APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTH CARE (1.5cr.)
MHA6370 INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH INFORMATICS (3cr.)
MHA6380 QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS TO HEALTH CARE DECISION MAKING (3cr.)
MBA5280 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT (1.5cr.)
MBA5680 GESTION DES OPÉRATIONS (1.5cr.)
ADM6275 BUSINESS PROCESS TRANSFORMATION (1.5cr.)
SYS5130 SYSTEMS OPTIMIZATION AND MANAGEMENT (3cr.)
SYS5140 ECONOMIC SYSTEM DESIGN (3cr.)
EPI5242 BIOSTATISTICS I (3cr.)
EPI5642 BIOSTATISTIQUE I (3cr.)
EPI6188 SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSIS (3cr.)
MAT5307 (MATH 5804) TOPICS IN OPERATIONS RESEARCH (3cr.)

5. Health Informatics and Technology
MHA6271 APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTH CARE (1.5cr.)
MHA6370 INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH INFORMATICS (3cr.)
EPI6179 COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN MEDICINE (3cr.)
EPI5188 HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT (3cr.)
CSI5115 (COMP 5503) DATABASE ANALYSIS AND DESIGN (3cr.)
CSI5143 (COMP 5403) REAL-TIME SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT (3cr.)
CSI5387 (COMP 5706) DATA MINING AND CONCEPT LEARNING (3cr.)
CSI5787 (COMP 5706) FOUILLE DES DONNÉES ET APPRENTISSAGE DES CONCEPTS (3cr.)

6. Quality of Care
MHA6301 POPULATION HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY (3cr.)
MHA6216 RISK MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH CARE (1.5cr.)
MBA6220 MANAGING CUSTOMER RELATIONS (1.5cr.)
MBA6620 GESTION DE LA RELATION CLIENT (1.5cr.)
MHA6361 LEADING STRATEGY AND CHANGE IN HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS (3cr.)
MHA6360 HEALTH CARE IN CANADA - OVERVIEW (3cr.)
MHA6215 MANAGEMENT AND EVALUATION OF QUALITY OF PATIENT CARE (1.5cr.)

7. Clinical Decision Making and Support
MHA6203 PROGRAM EVALUATION FOR HEALTH CARE MANAGERS (1.5cr.)
MHA6216 RISK MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH CARE (1.5cr.)
MHA6380 QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS TO HEALTH CARE DECISION MAKING (3cr.)
MBA5280 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT (1.5cr.)
MBA5680 GESTION DES OPÉRATIONS (1.5cr.)
NSG6133 DECISION MAKING IN CLINICAL PRACTICE (3cr.)
NSG6533 PRISE DE DÉCISIONS EN SITUATION CLINIQUE (3cr.)
EPI5181 POPULATION HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT I (3cr.)
EPI6276 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY (3cr.)
PHR6101 RISK MANAGEMENT IN GOVERNMENT (3cr.)
CSI5307 EXPERT SYSTEMS
ECS5119 MEDIATION AND NEGOTIATION: THEORY AND RESEARCH (3cr.)

• Master's Thesis and Health Systems Research Internship (15 credits)
The research deliverables of the program are comprised of the Master’s thesis and the research internship for a total of 15 credits.

MHS7999 THÈSE DE MAÎTRISE / MSc THESIS (12cr.)

Students registered for the MSc in HS must submit to their Thesis Committee, before the end of the second session of registration in the program, a clearly defined research proposal. The Thesis Committee will be formed prior to the thesis proposal submission. The Committee will include the thesis supervisor (and co-supervisor, if desired), a researcher from one of the collaborating institutions who may also act as co-supervisor, and another faculty member. Approval of the proposal by the Thesis Committee will normally be obtained by the end of the second session and no later than the end of the third. A student must register in the Masters thesis in the session immediately following the approval of the proposal. A student whose proposal is not approved on the first attempt may be permitted to submit a second proposal and present it in the Health Systems Research Seminars. Failure to obtain approval following the second submission will lead to an NS grade and to withdrawal from the program.

The master’s thesis should reveal that the candidate is able to work independently in a scholarly manner and is acquainted with the principal works published on the subject of the thesis. Insofar as possible, the thesis should be an original contribution. Theses will comprise theoretical and/or empirical research contributions applying a wide range of data collection methodologies, and modeling and analysis techniques based on appropriate software applications. Data collection methodologies will include the gathering of secondary data from published or archived sources, and/or primary data through interviews, surveys, and ethnographic studies. For example, topics for thesis research may address the issues of improving efficiencies of a health system and providing quality health services, the role of information and communication technologies in delivery of health services and the development of decision support tools.

Once the thesis proposal is accepted, students will be eligible to begin their Health Systems Research Internship with one of the collaborating organizations (see MHS7998).

The completed thesis will be evaluated by a Thesis Examining Board composed of at least two professors who are members of the FGPS and involved in the MSc in Health Systems. For information regarding the thesis, consult section G of the General Regulations of the FGPS and the guide Preparing a thesis or a Research Paper, which are both accessible through the FGPS website at www.gradstud.uottawa.ca.

MHS7998 INTERNAT DE RECHERCHE EN SYSTÈMES DE SANTÉ / HEALTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH INTERNSHIP (3cr.)

All MSc students will be required to undertake a one-session Research Internship that takes place in one of the collaborating Research Institutes. Students will work under the direction of their thesis supervisor and of a research mentor in the Institute. The Institute mentor is one of the members of the Thesis Committee. The Internship will allow the student to conduct thesis research and at the same time learn about and be involved in one or several of the cutting-edge research projects conducted in the Institute. It is expected that the student while doing the Health Systems Research Internship will participate in research seminars offered at the Institute as per the advice of the Internship supervisor as well as in the Health Systems Research Seminars. At the end of the session of the internship, students will be required to present a report to their Thesis Committee summarizing the research activities completed during the internship. The internship will be evaluated by the members of the Thesis Committee based on: (i) the Health Systems Research Seminars presentation and (ii) the written internship report to the Thesis Committee. The internship is graded on a (S) Satisfactory / (NS) Non-Satisfactory basis.


Collaborative Program in Environmental Sustainability (with Thesis)

The requirements of both the primary program and of the collaborative program must be met. The credits completed for the specialization count also towards the primary degree. Additional credits are not required.

The requirements specific to the collaborative program are as follows:

• Satisfactory completion of the Environmental Sustainability seminar (EVD5100 or EVD5500, 3 credits).
• Presentation and defence of a thesis on a topic in environmental sustainability based on research carried out under the supervision of a professor who is a member of the student`s primary program and/or of the collaborative program. The Collaborative Program Committee determines whether or not the topic of the thesis is appropriate for the designation “Specialization in Environmental Sustainability.” At least one of the thesis examiners must be a member of the Environmental Sustainability collaborative program.
• The passing grade in all courses is the same as that of the student’s primary program.

Collaborative Program in Environmental Sustainability (with Research Paper)

The requirements of both the primary program and of the collaborative program must be met. The credits completed for the specialization count also towards the primary degree. Additional credits are not required.

The requirements specific to the collaborative program are as follows:

• Satisfactory completion of the Environmental Sustainability seminar course (EVD5100 or EVD5500, 3 credits).
• Satisfactory completion of one course (3 credits) selected from a list of optional courses for the Collaborative Program in Environmental Sustainability.
• Satisfactory completion of the research paper, which must be on a topic in the area of environmental sustainability, carried out under the supervision of a professor who is a member of the student`s primary program and/or of the collaborative program. The Collaborative Program Committee determines whether or not the topic of the research paper is appropriate for the designation “Specialization in Environmental Sustainability.” The research paper is evaluated by two professors, one of whom is selected by the primary program, and the other by the Collaborative Program Director, on the advice of the Collaborative Program Committee.
• The passing grade in all courses is the same as that of the student’s primary program.

Duration of Program

Students are expected to fulfill all requirements within two years. The maximum time permitted is four years from the date of initial registration in the program.


Minimum Standards

The minimum passing grade in all courses taken as part of the program is 65% (C+). Students who incur failures in two courses (equivalent to six credits) or whose thesis proposal is rejected twice (NS grade in MHS7998) must withdraw.

Academic Unit Coordinates